Lacing guide for yarn treating apparatus



Sept. 20, 1955 G. M. ALLEN ET AL 2,718,136

LACING GUIDE FOR YARN TREATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 1952 INVENTORS.

GEORGE M. ALLEN g; HENRY J. McDERMOTT United States Patent LACING GUIDE FOR YARN TREATING APPARATUS George M. Allen, Swarthmore, and Henry J. McDermott,

Collingdale, Pa., assignors to American Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application October 30, 1952, Serial No. 317,809

6 Claims. (Cl. 68-176) The present invention relates to apparatus for spinning filamentary strands, and particularly to apparatus which comprises a system for hardening or setting the material of the strand while continuously forming the incipient strand into windings and continuing the setting or hardening while rotating as well as advancing a multiplicity of such windings in a direction parallel to their axis of rotation, and then stretching the substantially hardened strand as it passes to a drawing device.

In the spinning of regenerated cellulose yarn in accordance with one known procedure, viscose solution is extruded as small streams into a spinning bath which converts the streams into a yarn of which the material thereof is but partially coagulated and regenerated. The yarn is immediately formed into a plurality of windings about a thread-advancing device, such as a reel or a 4 pair of relatively canted drums, without subjecting the yarn to substantial tension. While supported by the thread-advancing device, the hardening and regeneration of the material constituting the strand is advanced substantially and to such an extent that the strand may be thereafter subjected to considerable elongation by stretching to improve its tensile strength. It is known that the strand may be subjected to even greater stretch than can be otherwise accomplished with beneficial results if the strand is passed through a hot bath during, or just prior to, its passage through the stretching zone. Such a heating treatment has a plasticizing effect on the yarn and also apparently advances regeneration of the material constituting the yarn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an easily laced yarn-immersing device for use in conjunction with rotatable thread-supporting apparatus, such a device being capable of being laced without the need for the person doing the lacing coming into contact with the liquid of the bath into which the device normally directs the running yarn. A specific object ancillary to the foregoing object is to provide a device that is easily shifted to a position for lacing the device outside the bath. It is also an object to provide a device that is readily attachable to existing types of rotary threadstoring and thread-advancing equipment for support and may be made movable with respect thereto from a position wherein it submerges a running yarn within an adajcent bath to a position wherein the yarn travels free of the bath. Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the drawing relating thereto in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, partly diagrammatic, elevation of spinning apparatus with parts thereof sectioned and broken away showing a thread-advancing reel, and a system in accordance with the invention for immersing a strand within a bath; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional, partly diagrammatic view taken along line II-Il of Fig. l.

The invention to be described hereinafter in detail is,

briefly, apparatus in combination with a thread-supporting rotor and comprises a trough or other container sup- "ice ported under the rotor, a thread guide, a pivotal support for the thread guide for positioning the guide outside a peripheral thread-supporting surface of the rotor. In a preferred embodiment, the pivotal axis of the support is approximately that of the rotor and the support carries a plurality of guides spaced and disposed to provied a strand path of desired length through the bath with the support being pivotable to such an extent as to remove the guides from the bath for lacing.

Fig. 1 illustrates a strand 4 that is formed as a liquid filament-forming material issues from a spinneret 5. The: flange of a coupling 6 used to secure the spinneret to a supply for the filament-forming material surrounds the: face of the spinneret and receives a coagulant or other filament-setting or filament-hardening solution through apertures 8 connected with a supply for the filamentconditioning liquid. The strand passes on to a reel 10 of conventional thread-advancing type having peripherally disposed thread-advancing bars 11 of which only two are shown. The strand 4 is formed in a plurality of windings about the reel 10 so that the yarn may be stored while engaged in longitudinal movement for sufficient time for the material constituting the strand to undergo substantial hardening and regeneration before the yarn is subjected to later occurring treatments that involve more severe handling. The windings of yarn formed on the reel are under but a small degree of tension since the yarn at this stage is highly plastic and.

the reel is rotated at a peripheral rate not greatly in excess of the linear rate at which material is extruded from the spinneret. For example, it is common practice for the peripheral rate of the reel to exceed the extrusion rate by about 30 per cent. The strand 4 carries with it a stream of the liquid coagulant which adheres to it as it leaves the body of liquid maintained within a flanged portion of the coupling 6 surrounding the spinneret. A substantial amount of this liquid remains on the windings of yarn supported on the reel 10 to continue the process of hardening and regenerating the cellulosic material constituting the yarn.

As shown, the reel 10 is supported at both ends with the' support at one end comprising a stationary doifing ring 14 extending between a central stationary portion of the reel and a machine frame member 15. The doffing ring receives yarn that may be discharged from the adjacent ends of the bars 11 during any operating period of the 19. The liquid supplied by the duct 19 may be heated.

for example, by being passed through a heat exchanger 20 illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

mit movement of a pair of guides 21 and 22 and the support 23 therefor from the position shown in solid line to a position above the level of liquid in the container as indicated in dotted outline 24.

To render the guides and the support pivotable with respect to the axis of the reel 10, the stationary dofi'ingring 14 is provided with an annular recess adjacent its end surface engaged by the frame member 15.

permit the mounting of ring members 26 and 27 between the shoulder 28 formed by the recess and the frame member 15. Preferably, the members are of sufiicient thick- The sides of the container are shaped as shown in Fig. 2 to per- The length of the recess in an axial direction is such as to ness as to be held tightly between the shoulder and the frame-whenfastening means, such as cap screws 29- arev tightened. The ring members 26 and 27 are fashioned in such a manner as to provide a groove 31 for receiving an annulan tongue 32 of: the ring portion 33-of the support 23.

Thetongue 32 and the adjacent inwardly-facing annular surfaces ofthe ring portion 33-are maintained-to fit complementary surfaces of the rings 26 and 27- with such accuracy as to cause some friction between the support andthe rings. but not prevent the guides and the support from being readily manually rotated into or out of the bath. If preferred, the necessity for accurate fitting may be avoided by the introduction of a resilient friction or brake elementmounted between the doffing ring and the ring portion 33 o f the support 2-3.

The guides 21- and 22 are spaced so as to obtain a section of yarn extending therebetween within the bath without. lateral support of sufhcient length whereby efiicient heat exchanging occurs between the hot bath of the container 17 and the strand. The guides are secured to the support 23 within complementary holestherefor in pressfitrelationship. However, they may be secured in the holes by set screws, pins, and the like. The guides have notches 34 as shown, if desired, to fix the tracking of the yarn along a desired path and also to hold the yarn with the filaments somewhat bunched, thereby avoiding the spreading of the yarn into a band of filaments such as happens when sucha yarn is drawn over a cylindrical surface. Compact grouping of the filaments is desirable because a laterally condensed yarn carries less liquid as it leaves the bath.

The yarn passes from one ofthe guides (guide 22 as shown) to a yarn-advancing means such as the pair of wash drums 35 and 36 (diagrammatically illustrated). The support 23 is positioned during normal operation so thatthe yarn in passing between the guide 22. and the wash drum which first receives the yarn passes around a portion of the periphery of the reel (see Fig. 2), thereby causing the yarn in traveling from the guide 22 to the wash drum to travel concurrently with the en gaged portion of the periphery of the reel 14 However, the drums and 36 are rotated at a higher peripheral rate than the reel 10 to stretch the yarn as it travels therebetween. The stretch, however, is transmitted back along the yarn, past the guides 22 and 21, through several windings supported on the reel 10. Due to the plasticizing effect of the hot bath on the yarn, the stretching of the yarn is greatest in the portions thereof passing through the bath and leaving the bath. The yarn in leaving the bath, however, is in contact with the periphery of the reel 10 and on account of the stretching occurring in the yarn, is traveling linearly somewhat faster than the periphery of the reel. Therefore, the yarn, in sliding with respect to the surface of the reel 10 is sub jected to a snubbing action which tends to cause more elongation in that section of the yarn passing between the reel 10 and the drum 35 and to prevent sudden or severe elongation occurring in the yarn immediately adjacent either of the guides 21 or 22. By this arrangement, the stretching effect is disposed over a somewhat longer section of the running strand than could be accomplished in the absence of the braking effect provided by the periphery of the reel 10 on an intermediate portion of the section of the yarn being stretched.

A preferred solution from which to make the hot bath in the container 17 is one comprising a dilute sulfuric acid, e. g., around 4% concentration. This bath is also eifective in promoting the regeneration of the cellulosic material of the yarn. As such a solution, particularly when heated to temperatures around 90 C., is highly injurious to the human body, the support and the guides are swung out of the bath for lacing. The guides are preferably swung to that side of the bath and the reel 10 from which the yarn passes toward the drums 3 5 and 3.6.

thereby permitting complete lacing of the reel before the lacing. of the. strand. over the guides 21' and 22.; The support 23 may then be swung in a direction opposite to the rotation of the reel 10 to position the guides Within the bath.

Vhile preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, itis to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the. invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with thread-advancing reel adapted to support a strand as a helix, means spaced laterally from the strand-discharging portion of the reel for withdrawing the strand therefrom, a vessel mounted under said strand-discharging portion, means for maintaining a liquid bath in said vessel at a desired level, stationary supporting means for the reel having an annular bearing surface generally concentric with the axis of rotation of the reel, said bearing surface comprising axially-extending as well as radially-extending portions, a strand-guiding means comprising a ring portion having its inner periphery in slidable tonguc-and-groove relation with said bearing surface and spaced guide elements extending parallel to said axis in radially spaced relation with the periphery of said strand-discharging portion of the reel, said guiding means being rotatable to swing said elements between a position wherein the elements are disposed above the bath to a position wherein both elements are submerged therein, said elements being spaced to provide a section of the strand of desired length passing through the bath between the elements without lateral support.

2. Apparatus for liquid-treating a strand comprising a thread-advancing reel adapted to support the strand as a helix, a vessel mounted under the portion of said reel from which the strand is discharged, means for maintaining the liquid in the vessel at a desired level, stationary supporting means for the reel having a surface concentric to the axis of rotation of the reel exposed adjacent the strand-discharging end portion, a strand-guiding means comprising a support having a ring-like portion extending around said surface of the supporting means in frictional relation therewith and at least two spaced guide elements extending generally parallel to said axis, said elements. being spaced with respect to the periphery of the reel to be swingable by rotation of the guiding means between a position outside the path to a position wherein both elements are submerged, said elements being relaggtively spaced to provide a section of the strand of a desired length passing through the bath between the elements without lateral support, and means spaced laterally from the strand-discharging portion of the reel and above the bath for withdrawing the strand from said reel por- "tion.

3. Apparatus for plasticizing a strand comprising a thread-advancing reel adapted to support the strand as a helix, a vessel mounted under the portion of said reel from which the strand is discharged, means for maintaining a liquid in the vessel at a desired level, means for heating the liquid in the bath, stationary supporting means for the reel having a surface concentric to the axis of rotation of the reel disposed adjacent said stranddischarging end portion, a strand-guiding means comprising a support having a ring-like portion extending around said surface of the supporting means in frictional relation therewith and at least two spaced guide elements extending generally parallel to said axis, said elements being spaced with respect to the periphery of the reel to be swingable by rotation of the guiding means between a position outside the bath to a position wherein both ele ments are submerged, said elements being" relatively spaced to provide a section of the strand of a desired length passing through the bath between the elements withgut lateral support whereby all portions or" such strand section may be exposed to transfer heat from the liquid for plasticizing the strand to the bath, and means spaced laterally from the strand-discharging portion of the reel and above the bath for withdrawing the strand from said reel portion.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 for plasticizing and stretching a strand comprising means for driving the strand-advancing means at a higher peripheral rate than the reel.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the guide elements are relatively spaced with respect to the periphery of the reel, and the advancing means is disposed above the reel and the bath to allow rotation of the guide means to a position which disposes along a portion the periphcry of the reel the path of the strand extending between the guide element over which the strand last proceeds and the strand-withdrawing means whereby the strand moving along this path is snubbed against the slower moving periphery of the reel, the guide elements being positioned entirely within the bath at said position of the guide means.

6. Apparatus for liquid treating a strand comprising a thread-advancing reel adapted to support the strand as a helix, means for supporting the reel along a fixed generally horizontal axis of rotation, a vessel mounted under an end portion of said reel from which the strand is discharged, a stationary annular dofiing member supported in axially adjacent relation to said end portion of the reel, means for maintaining the liquid at a desired level, said doffing member having a radially outwardlyfacing circular strand-receiving surface and a bearing surface concentric thereto further away from the reel than said strand-receiving surface, a strand-guiding means comprising a support having a ring-like portion extending around said bearing surface in frictional relationtherewith and at least two spaced guide elements extending generally parallel to said axis, said elements being spaced with respect to the periphery of the reel to be swingable by rotatation of the guide means between a position outside the bath to a position wherein both elements are submerged, said elements being relatively spaced to provide a section of the strand at a desired length passing through the bath between the elements without lateral support, and means spaced laterally from the strand-discharging portion of the reel and above the bath for withdrawing the strand from said reel portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,052 Fryer Nov. 21, 1939 2,505,033 Elvin Apr. 25, 1950 2,524,177 Roberts Oct. 3, 1950 2,579,846 Moravec Dec. 25, 1951 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THREAD-ADVANCING REEL ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A STRAND AS A HELIX, MEANS SPACED LATERALLY FROM THE STRAND-DISCHARGING PORTION OF THE REEL FOR WITHDRAWING THE STRAND THEREFROM, A VESSEL MOUNTED UNDER SAID STRAND-DISCHARGING PORTION, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A LIQUID BATH IN SAID VESSEL AT A DESIRED LEVEL, STATIONARY SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE REEL HAVING AN ANNULAR BEARING SURFACE GENERALLY CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE REEL, SAID BEARING SURFACE COMPRISING AXIALLY-EXTENDING AS WELL AS RADIALLY-EXTENDING PORTIONS, A STRAND-GUIDING MEANS COMPRISING A RING PORTION HAVING ITS INNER PERIPHERY IN SLIDABLE TONGUE-AND-GROOVE RELATION WITH SAID BEARING SURFACE AND SPACED GUIDE ELEMENTS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATION WITH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID STRAND-DISCHARGING PORTION OF THE REEL, SAID GUIDING MEANS BEING ROTATABLE TO SWING SAID ELEMENTS BETWEEN A POSITION WHEREIN THE ELEMENTS ARE DISPOSED ABOVE THE BATH TO A POSITION WHEREIN BOTH ELEMENTS ARE SUBMERGED THEREIN, SAID ELEMENTS BEING SPACED TO PROVIDE A SECTION OF THE STRAND OF DESIRED LENGTH PASSING THROUGH THE BATH BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS WITHOUT LATERAL SUPPORT. 